Eli Lily's Prozac not only causes brain tumours, but also helps cancer germinate

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- http://news.independent.co.uk/world/science_medical/story.jsp?story=278505 -

 

SCIENTISTS FIND PROZAC 'LINK' TO BRAIN TUMOURS

 

By Steve Connor Science Editor

26 March 2002

 

Scientists have discovered that Prozac, the antidepressant taken by millions

of people around the world, may stimulate THE GROWTH OF BRAIN TUMOURS BY

BLOCKING THE BODY'S NATURAL ABILITY TO KILL CANCER CELLS.

 

An international team of researchers led by John Gordon, professor of

immunology at Birmingham University, found evidence to suggest CANCER CELLS

CAN BE KILLED BY " POSITIVE THINKING " , which could be blocked when people

take Prozac.

 

The study, to be published in the journal Blood next week, examined the

effects of Prozac and other antidepressants on a group of tumour cells

growing in a test tube. The researchers found that the drug prevented the

cancer cells from committing " suicide " , thereby leading to a more vigorous

growth of the tumours.

 

Although an increased risk of cancer has not so far been detected in Prozac

patients, the latest findings could lead to a global re-evaluation of the

drug's long-term safety.

 

Prozac, a " happiness pill " that was first approved in the United States in

1987, is widely used for the treatment of depression, obsessive-compulsive

disorder and bulimia nervosa. Doctors in Britain issue about three million

prescriptions for it each year and worldwide sales reached £1.8bn in 1999.

 

The scientists tested other SSRIs such as Paxil and Celexa and found they,

too, had the same effect in stimulating the growth of a type of tumour known

as Burkitt's lymphoma.

 

" An exciting property of serotonin is that it can tell some cells to

self-destruct. We have found that serotonin can get inside the lymphoma

cells and instruct them to commit suicide, thereby providing the potential

for an effective therapy, " Professor Gordon said.

 

The researchers found that Prozac blocked the entry of serotonin into the

test-tube tumour cells and therefore stopped them from committing suicide.

That raised the question of whether Prozac can do the same in the brains of

people taking the drug.

 

Further work is underway to test Prozac further in this field. In

particular, the scientists want to develop drugs that will mimic the

cancer-destroying feature of serotonin which is blocked by Prozac.

 

A spokeswoman for Eli Lilly, the manufacturer of Prozac, said that the

research is too new for the company to make a detailed response. " It's not

something we can directly comment on because we haven't been involved in

it, " she said.